Premier League Snooker Week Seven

The table arrived in Penrith, Cumbria, this week for the latest installment of Snooker action, although it was rivalled with a fly squatting contest between the players and the referee. The first two to brave the insect onslaught was the Asian counterparts Ding Junhui and Marco Fu. Ding was playing his final league match and really needed a win especially after receiving a 6-0 whitewash last week at the hands of Neil Robertson. He started brightly with a successful long pot but ended up losing the frame 94-2. Fu then went onto take the second frame 81-17 and Ding's hope of a win were fading fast. They then vanished altogether in the third frame when Fu guaranteed himself a point with a 65-0 win. Ding's hopes of even a solitary point vanished shortly after in the fourth frame when he was now facing down the barrel of a second consecutive 6-0 whitewash, after Fu took the fourth frame 94-0 to guarantee the victory. But Ding did earn £1000 finally in the fifth frame to restore some pride despite not being able to make it into the semi-finals, he took the frame 77-0. The game finished 5-1 however as Fu took the final frame with the only century break of the night, winning it 107-20. The victory for Fu means he goes top of the league with six points from five games, his final match will be against Robertson next week.

The other match was between the two unbeaten players that stood at opposite ends of the league. Mark Williams started the night top of the table with five points from four games, his opponent was Ronnie O'Sullivan who sat at the bottom of the table with three points from three games. Ronnie was in a predatory mood though and quickly set out a 98-0 first frame victory, that quickly turned to 2-0 with Williams still to pot a ball as Ronnie made 123 from two visits. Williams settled down in the third frame and pulled the score back with a 61-16 win. But Ronnie regained a two frame lead and guaranteed himself a point with a 74-38 frame win after Williams missed a red. Ronnie then went onto win his first match of the campaign with a 103-15 win, again with two visits after Williams gave away two fouls on the black ball. But Williams rounded the night off with a second frame win, 78-4. The win now puts O'Sullivan ahead of Williams in the League with five points from four games with Williams on the same amount of points but has played a game more.